So thinking of the old EU, I have become my read of Star Wars Invincible.
Primarily in preparation for my upcoming fanfic, but also just to refresh my memory and well for lack of much else fun to do, “fun” being a word in question.
Denning’s characters genuinely lack pathos, and emotional gravitas. This is a heady dark novel concluding a nine book series, and Denning just can’t seem to make Jaina and her circle of allies not either come across as shallow or outright sociopathic. Caedus first POV is literally, “I need to be a better Sith Lord, and this means experiencing pain and stop focusing on myself”. Like, your waiting now to make Caedus an introspective and actually menacing villain?
I mean it’s better than Ren, because Lord Caedus is capable of introspection and resolutely chooses not to enact retribution against the moffs. Whom he and they proceed to threaten and cajole each other.
Jaina learns to fight like a Mandalorian, and I’m not sure what this profits her given I know the outcome of the book.
Also when discussing options of removing Jacen-they say they’ve tried capture and tried “politicssss” to quote Saba Sebatyne, when? The Jedi outright left the GA and now have a non aggression pact with the Hapans and Confederation. Like they didn’t publicly reveal that Jacen is the father of Allana, or that he and Niathal conducted a coup de etat(oh right Niathal is their “ally”). And try to discredit him or his political supporters?
I’ll probably read the whole book but the POD for my fanfic is coming up soon.